After cutting down several low-level Shinigami along the way, Ichigo gradually realized that the louder the battle became, the more trouble it attracted.
So he began advancing more cautiously.
Although his path was no longer a straight line, taking detours was still faster than constantly fighting enemies.
Step by step, he made his way toward the Sōkyoku Hill Tower, eventually arriving near the territory of Squad 6.
The moment he entered the area, Ichigo noticed something different.
The buildings here looked far more luxurious than elsewhere.
His instincts immediately told him this place meant trouble.
Without hesitation, he turned around to leave.
But just then—
He spotted a familiar head of red hair.
Realizing who it was, Ichigo instantly understood this wasn't an opponent he could defeat in a few quick moves.
He immediately chose to retreat.
But Renji was no ordinary Shinigami.
As a lieutenant, his combat instincts were far sharper than most.
Having just returned from intense training, he sensed Ichigo's presence—and, using his familiarity with the streets, intercepted Ichigo's escape route.
Renji belonged to Squad 6, the division closely tied to the nobility.
The area Ichigo had wandered into was part of the Noble District, which fell under Renji's jurisdiction.
So by sheer coincidence, Ichigo ran directly into Renji right after his training.
"So it's you—the guy who dragged Rukia into all this!" Renji shouted the moment he saw him.
"Don't say nonsense! What do you mean seduced?!" Ichigo protested, blushing.
"We helped each other survive life-and-death situations! That's not seduction!"
"I don't care!" Renji snapped.
"Because of you, Rukia is facing the Sōkyoku execution! You can't escape responsibility!"
"I know that!" Ichigo replied.
"That's why I came to Soul Society to save her!"
Ichigo could tell Renji had a special relationship with Rukia.
Otherwise, no one would be speaking about her this passionately.
"Save Rukia?" Renji scoffed.
"Right—if I capture the root of the problem, Rukia's punishment might be reduced!"
He drew his Zanpakutō and pointed it at Ichigo.
"Prepare yourself, orange-head!"
"My name isn't Orange-Head! It's Kurosaki Ichigo!"
Realizing Renji wasn't listening at all, Ichigo decided there was only one way to make him understand.
Through combat.
The bandage wrapped around Zangetsu loosened as Ichigo charged first.
"Howl, Zabimaru!"
Zangetsu and Zabimaru collided—one vertical, one horizontal.
But unlike their fight in the Human World, Ichigo could no longer overwhelm Renji.
A smug smile appeared on Renji's face.
"In these ten days, I've trained to the point where I can fight a captain!"
If Tsuna had been there, he would have burst out laughing.
Renji had no idea how enormous the gap between captains truly was.
"Captain-level, huh… sounds impressive," Ichigo said casually.
Truthfully, Ichigo had no real concept of what "captain-level strength" meant.
From the moment he obtained Shinigami powers, he had been trained by people at that level.
Ichigo forced Renji back and swung Zangetsu.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
A crescent-shaped wave of blue energy surged forward.
Renji chose not to extend Zabimaru.
Instead, he condensed Reiatsu into the blade and thrust it forward like the fangs of a serpent.
Getsuga Tenshō pushed him back several meters before fading.
In that instant, Zabimaru lashed out again.
Mid-range combat was Renji's specialty.
"I told you—this fighting style won't work on me!"
Ichigo was pushed back several meters before Renji retracted Zabimaru.
Ichigo hesitated.
From that brief exchange, he knew that the fastest way to defeat Renji would be Bankai.
But releasing Bankai would cause his Reiatsu to flare like a beacon in the night.
Even if he defeated Renji, escaping afterward would be difficult.
Renji, however, didn't hesitate.
He retracted Zabimaru for one reason only.
Holding the Zanpakutō horizontally, his Reiatsu exploded.
"Bankai!"
A pillar of spiritual pressure illuminated the night sky of the Seireitei.
When the light faded—
Renji stood revealed.
A massive bone serpent coiled around him.
The serpent's head was covered with crimson fur, its enormous jaws capable of crushing an enemy whole.
"Hihiō Zabimaru!"
Renji smiled with pride.
After all the effort he and Ikkaku had spent training, he had finally learned the name of his Bankai.
Now he would use it to strike down the man responsible for Rukia's suffering.
"Well," Ichigo sighed, "guess there's no point holding back."
Since Renji had already revealed Bankai and drawn everyone's attention, Ichigo decided to finish the fight quickly.
His Reiatsu exploded as well.
But unlike Renji's massive transformation, Ichigo compressed all his spiritual power into his Shihakushō and his black blade.
"Bankai — Tensa Zangetsu."
"That's more like it!"
Renji swung his bone-like staff.
The gigantic serpent lunged toward Ichigo, jaws wide open.
Before leaving for the Human World, Renji had never desired power this much.
But when he saw an unknown orange-haired boy fighting his captain with Bankai—
He realized how desperately he wanted that power.
He no longer wanted to be the stray dog howling at the moon.
He wanted to stand beside the moon itself.
Renji attacked.
But Ichigo moved first.
At a speed almost impossible to see, he dashed toward Renji.
The massive bone serpent looked terrifying—
Yet Ichigo simply sidestepped and slipped past its body.
This was the weakness of Renji's Bankai.
The giant serpent had tremendous power, but far less agility than Zabimaru's Shikai form.
Against someone as fast as Ichigo, Renji quickly fell into a disadvantage.
Realizing this, Renji made a desperate decision.
Red Reiatsu surged from the staff into the serpent's body, racing through each bone segment.
The serpent's head spun around.
Crimson energy gathered at its mouth like a Cero.
"Hikotsu Taihō!"
Renji was ruthless.
His first target was Ichigo.
His second target… was himself.
If Ichigo dodged, Renji would be hit by his own attack.
Exactly as predicted—
Ichigo dodged instantly using Shunpo.
Renji was now completely exposed.
From this alone, Ichigo confirmed something.
Renji had only just learned Bankai.
He hadn't mastered it yet.
Sure enough, Renji panicked after Ichigo dodged.
With no time to react, he hurriedly raised several bone segments as shields.
BOOM.
When the smoke cleared, Renji looked battered.
He realized he had been tricked.
Taking advantage of the moment, he withdrew the serpent around himself.
Renji's combat instincts kicked in.
As long as the serpent protected him closely, Ichigo's speed alone couldn't easily harm him.
But that forced Renji into a purely defensive position.
If the serpent attacked, Ichigo would immediately close in.
So Renji could only repeatedly fire Hikotsu Taihō at long range.
Red beams streaked across the night sky of the Seireitei.
None of them hit Ichigo.
Renji was simply wasting Reiatsu.
"That's enough," Ichigo said, floating above him.
"I can see you care about Rukia."
"I'll save her."
"Don't joke with me!" Renji roared.
"I'll be the one to save Rukia!"
If he couldn't save her—
What meaning did his Bankai even have?
Crimson Reiatsu surged again.
The serpent lunged forward.
Another Hikotsu Taihō charged.
Ichigo finally understood why Tsuna always said it was easier to beat someone first, then reason with them.
Renji had already become half-mad.
There was no talking to him.
"…Fine."
"I'll end this."
The tip of Tensa Zangetsu traced a darkness deeper than night.
Ichigo swung his arm forward with full force.
A black crescent shot toward Renji's crimson blast.
There was no dramatic explosion.
The black Getsuga Tenshō erased the crimson energy effortlessly.
Then it continued forward.
The difference was overwhelming.
Renji, who had just learned Bankai and wasted massive Reiatsu, had no strength left to resist.
He could only coil the serpent around himself in defense.
The black crescent swallowed both Renji and his Bankai.
The attack tore through two entire streets of the Seireitei, carving a massive crescent-shaped scar across the ground.
Renji lay defeated in the ruins—
like a beaten stray dog.
Without his Reiatsu sustaining it, the giant serpent collapsed into scattered bone fragments.
Ichigo appeared beside him.
Renji thought he saw pity in Ichigo's eyes again.
No way.
Not again.
Back in the Human World was one thing—
but now he had Bankai.
He wasn't weak anymore!
Just as Ichigo was about to speak—
Renji's lips moved.
Reiatsu surged into the staff again.
"Higa Zekkō!"
The scattered bone fragments responded to his call.
Each bone floated into the air, glowing red.
Every segment sprouted sharp fang-like spikes.
Before Ichigo realized it—
he had stepped directly into Renji's trap.
Fangs attacked from all directions at once.
This was Renji's final move.
A technique meant for desperate, life-or-death battles.
Renji stared at Ichigo—
Then despair struck him.
Ichigo didn't even look at the incoming fangs.
Holding Tensa Zangetsu in one hand, he moved like a blur.
Each swing precisely cut down a bone spike.
In a single instant—
Renji's last struggle collapsed completely.
Clearly, Byakuya Kuchiki had never explained his battle with Ichigo in detail.
Otherwise Renji wouldn't have used this move.
Ichigo's speed had once cut down the sphere of Senbonzakura itself.
Compared to that—
Higa Zekkō's density and power were insignificant.
Renji finally let go of his weapon.
Hihiō Zabimaru reverted to its sealed form.
He had lost.
There was nothing left he could do.
Ichigo looked at him seriously.
"I'll save Rukia."
Then he turned and left.
Watching his back, a faint light appeared in Renji's eyes.
Maybe…
just maybe…
that guy really could do it.
"Please… save her," Renji whispered.
"Save Rukia."
"Escape Soul Society… and never come back."
"I will," Ichigo replied.
Suddenly—
Dozens of gigantic blades rose from both sides of the street, blocking Ichigo's path.
"When did the affairs of the Gotei 13 become something an outsider could interfere with?"
A cold voice spoke.
Byakuya Kuchiki appeared beside Renji.
He glanced briefly at the defeated "howling stray dog," then looked toward Ichigo.
"Scatter… Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
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